Kenmore 81414 Bagged Canister Vacuum Cleaning Tools, 400 Series + Telescoping Wand, Red

Most Thorough Vacuum I’ve Ever Owned
I grew up helping my mom clean houses and this is literally the best vacuum I’ve ever used. Mind you, I’ve used them all from cheapy to expensive and THIS is the one you want. It makes my semi-monthly big cleans (ceilings to floors) SO much quicker. I am able to get wood blinds, fan blades, air vents, and baseboards dusted so much faster. And mind you we have ten foot ceilings so every bit of extension/telescoping features this has I absolutely gain from. You can make so many adjustments to fit you and your cleaning needs. Between a telescoping wand on the handle, adjustable suction, carpet to tile, and with as many accessories as you get and a built it storage within the canister you really are getting the most bang for buck. You’re not having to buy wall units or storage caddies to be able to store all the accessories because IT’S DESIGNED TO BE AN EFFICIENT/COHESIVE TOOL. It’s all literally at your fingertips and tool swaps are quick. and the retractable cord feature is just a chefs kiss. Like yes I’m exhausted after cleaning all day and not having to wind up a cord is so damn nice.Kenmore has been around for a long time. We’ve got 30 year old washer/dryer sets that are still going strong. One of my old clients had the same Kenmore vac for over twenty years and it still worked better than a lot of the more modern vacs. ESPECIALLY the bagless and cordless . Trust me. This is worth the money. This is so much better performance and design-wise than a Dyson. Just after one use, this vacuum did a way better job than the Dyson pet vac we had and it still continues to do so. And in a house with dogs, a man that buzzes his head and trims a long beard, and one long curly-haired woman that means a lot!

Many hard-to-find features!
I own the same model of this vacuum from 25 years ago. I loved that vacuum more than I can say. Tried to get it repaired, but they no longer sell the parts, which is unfortunate. The newer one, though, has all the features I loved plus one that I really need, but didn’t know I needed. I also own a Miele canister vacuum so I’ll share some notable differences.PROS1. This vacuum has a light (and it the light is operational even when you disconnect the powered floor nozzle and use only the part made for hardwood floors). Mieles with similar price points do not have any light, and the light is really useful for illuminating where the dirt is under couches and under furniture, esp if you have pet hair.2. The suction is incredibly strong and adjustable. Could probably suck up a small cat from about 30 feet away. j/k but it’s intense. Miele’s has great suction too.3. The on/off switch is located on the handle, so you don’t have to bend down. Miele has the power switch on the canister itself. Ostensibly you can use your foot to turn the switch on/off on the Miele, but I’ve had to bend down often to get it to turn on, and often the canister is far away, so if you want to turn the suction up or down or turn off the machine momentarily, say to pick something up, the location of the switch makes a big difference.4. The floor cleaning nozzle is two-in-one (one powered for carpets and one unpowered made for hardwood that just glides effortlessly and picks up everything on the first try). When I have used the (un)powered Miele floor brush attachment, it often makes smaller bits (like cat litter) shoot all over the place. Miele has a similar tool, but you have to bend down to change the nozzle head and it still doesn’t pick up small bits on hardwood as well. With the Kenmore, you just use your foot to pull out the floor brush from the motorized nozzle. Easy and quick and no fussing with finding a different attachment and bending down to affix it.5. All of the attachments (including the powered pet mate attachment) are stored inside the canister with a lid. Miele’s storage is flimsy and not contained, so I found that the attachments would routinely fell off their caddy.6. Power cord is retractable (same as Miele, but the button on the Kenmore is larger and easier to use).7. Both the suction tube connecting the floor wand to the canister AND the power cord are significantly longer than the Miele’s. I have a very small apartment, and this still annoyed me. If you want to be able to clean without having to plug and unplug the vacuum regularly, the extra length is lovely.8. The floor nozzle on the Kenmore can almost go flush with the ground and the attachment still stays level so it can vacuum under furniture effectively even if it’s quite a distance back. The Miele’s floor attachment pops up (becomes unlevel with the floor) when you try to make the handle level with the floor. I do have to say, my 25 yo Kenmore could go completely flush with the ground, perhaps even lower and still remain level. So I’m bummed that the new one can’t go completely flush, but it’s still able to vacuum more flush than the Miele.9. Kenmore is cheaper than most Mieles.Having enjoyed most of the above features on my 25 year old Kenmore, I was disappointed by the Miele.CONS1. The canister and wand on the Kenmore are heavier than the Miele. The weight of the canister is annoying if you need to carry it up and down stairs. And although I don’t have any stairs, I imagine the Miele would be easier for stairs.2. The wheels don’t work perfectly on the Kenmore (they were fabulous on my older model). So while canister vacuums are always a little clumsy, I find maneuvering with the Miele easier.That’s about it. I like having both vacuums, but if I had to choose one, it would no contest: I would go with the Kenmore. If money weren’t an object, perhaps the top-of-the-line Mieles would match the features on this Kenmore, but for twice the price or more.

What a wonderfully powerful machine with extremely great suction. Always been a Kenmore fan but now even more so. Have only ever owned Kenmores but this one is by far the best machine of them all with the best suction I’ve ever experienced. Such a great machine that comes highly recommended. Will not disappoint!

I already have a Series 600 Kenmore and really like it’s performance so I bought this second vacuum (400 Series) with like expectations and on all the really important elements it is more than adequate. It is lightweight relative to the Series 600, has powerful suction and is easily maneuverable. However the attachments are chintzy – maybe spoiled by the quality of the Series 600. All that said, I am happy with the purchase and highly recommend this vacuum.